Desperate for clicks in a sea of outrageous video content and AI slop, influencers are using increasingly shocking encounters with wildlife to push themselves to the top of the algorithm.
For a case in point, consider a recent viral incident in the country of Oman, in which Ukrainian fitness influencer Vadym Oleynik and his wife Olena Kravchenko filmed themselves “riding” a large adult sea turtle as it tried to nest its eggs. While it isn’t known exactly what species of turtle the couple was messing with, the area they were in, the Ras al Hadd Turtle Reserve, is one of the most important nesting grounds for the once-endangered green turtle.
In one portion of the reel, Oleynik is filmed handling a brand new hatchling between his fingers while trying to sit on top of the adult, which is struggling desperately to escape in the sand.
The video quickly went viral across various social media apps, prompting outrage from conservation groups and viewers alike, and evidently pushing Oleynik to take his popular Instagram page private.
